Starting March 1, 2026: When will payments to the families of fallen defenders increase?
5 February 19:28
The Cabinet of Ministers has announced an increase in the minimum pension and social benefits for family members of Ukraine’s fallen and missing-in-action defenders, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The new benefit amounts will take effect on March 1, 2026, and will be nearly one and a half times higher than the current minimum payments.
What the government decided
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that the government has decided to increase targeted assistance to the families of servicemen who were killed or went missing while defending Ukraine against Russian aggression.
This refers to the minimum amounts of pensions or state social assistance guaranteed by the state, regardless of other supplements.
Who is affected by the increase
The increase applies to:
- disabled parents of defenders who have died or gone missing in action;
- the wives and husbands of fallen servicemen;
- children of deceased defenders who are receiving state social assistance instead of a pension.
What amounts are being set
As of March 1, 2026:
- at least 12,810 UAH per person—for each disabled family member, including parents, spouses, and one child of a fallen defender.
Currently, the minimum payment for this category is 7,800 UAH; - no less than 10,020 UAH per family member — in cases where a pension or state assistance is granted to two or more family members of a fallen defender (excluding disabled parents and spouses).
The current minimum for them is 6,100 UAH.
According to the Prime Minister, starting March 1, 2027, the established minimum payment amounts will be indexed annually based on economic indicators.
According to official data, there are over 10.17 million pensioners in Ukraine. Approximately one-third of them receive pensions of about 3,250 UAH, which highlights the significant difference between general minimum payments and support for the families of fallen soldiers.
